Smoothtalkinrascal can get punters off to a flyer at Epsom April 21, 2015 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE INVESTEC-SPONSORED CARD AT EPSOM TODAY TODAY’S opening Investec Asset Finance Handicap (2.10pm) at Epsom features a couple of well-handicapped sprinters and I’m struggling to split Long Awaited and SMOOTHTALKINRASCAL. The former is a hugely talented horse but seems to always find a way of getting beaten. The fact his last win [...]
Lungarno Palace set to bring unlucky streak to an end April 21, 2015 BACKING a horse that was an unlucky loser on its previous start is arguably a quick way to the poor house. Backing a horse that’s been unlucky in three of his last four starts is probably the quickest route to the mad house, but I’m still keen to take a chance on LUNGARNO PALACE in [...]
Manchester United, Newcastle and Aston Villa are the Premier League’s biggest underperformers judged against wage spend April 21, 2015 Manchester United, Newcastle United and Aston Villa have been three of the Premier League’s biggest underperformers in the last two seasons when judged against their respective wage bills. In the 2013/14 season, United spent more money on wages than any other Premier League team with a total wage bill of £215.8m yet finished seventh after [...]
Liverpool’s £30m Standard Chartered sponsorship equals Arsenal Fly Emirates deal April 21, 2015 Liverpool have agreed a three-year extension to their sponsorship deal with Standard Chartered, keeping the American bank's name on their shirt until the end of the 2018-19 season. Standard Chartered' sponsorship has been worth £20m a season to Liverpool since 2010 when it replaced the long-standing Carlsberg who enjoyed 17 years emblazoned on the famous [...]
IAAF teams up with eSports governing body for community programme April 21, 2015 Professional video gaming's growing legitimacy in the traditional sporting landscape has been highlighted by a new partnership between the governing bodies of athletics and eSports. The world of super sprinters will merge with the arena of lightning-quick button-bashers as the International eSports Federation (IeSF) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) team up to [...]
Captain Cook desperate to banish woes April 20, 2015 ENGLAND skipper Alastair Cook insists he is “desperate” to stoke his side’s bid for batting dominance despite his barren spell overshadowing preparations for the second Test against the West Indies, which starts in Grenada today. Cook mustered scores of just 11 and 13 in the attritional and drawn series opener at the Sir Vivian Richards [...]
Chelsea facing striker crisis for Arsenal fixture April 20, 2015 CHELSEA could be without any of their senior centre-forwards for Sunday’s Premier League summit clash at Arsenal after Didier Drogba became their latest injury victim. Veteran Drogba, who has led the line in the last two Blues games while Diego Costa and Loic Remy have been sidelined, withdrew from a planned appearance in a charity [...]
Guardiola cool on City move as Bayern teeter on Euro precipice April 20, 2015 BAYERN Munich manager Pep Guardiola has rejected talk of taking charge at Manchester City next season but admits his position will be under threat if he fails to engineer a Champions League recovery tonight. Guardiola is believed to be the long-term target of City’s hierarchy, which includes two directors who worked alongside him at Barcelona, [...]
Depay to cost United £15m+ April 20, 2015 Holland World Cup star Memphis Depay could be set to join former mentor Louis van Gaal at Manchester United after PSV Eindhoven revealed the Premier League club have enquired about the young forward. PSV technical director Marcel Brands said United had phoned the Dutch champions about former Tottenham target Depay, who has scored 20 goals [...]
Golf Comment: Plenty years left in Gentleman Jim April 20, 2015 NOBODY was happier than me to see the evergreen Jim Furyk triumph at the RBC Heritage on Sunday, ending the American’s five-year wait for a 17th tournament win on the PGA Tour. I’ve come across him many times in my career and played against him in the Ryder Cup and can attest that there isn’t [...]